


Like Branches on a Tree

by zouisweak



Series: Zouis Week [5]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-17
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-21 06:38:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4818917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zouisweak/pseuds/zouisweak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zouis week, day 5/7: domestic: the first time Louis meets the Maliks. Like, all of them.</p><p>It makes him imagine a future of these, when Louis isn’t introducing himself to family but introducing himself <em>as</em> family, part of it, part of the barbecues and the gossip and <em>all</em> of it. Part of every inch of Zayn’s life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Branches on a Tree

**Author's Note:**

> again, no chronological order to these, like, at all.
> 
> title from Truly Madly Deeply

Louis’ met his family before. Obviously. Just- they don’t often get the chance for it to be _just_ Louis, and when it is _just_ Louis’ it’s usually _just_ Doniya, too, or _just_ Trisha, never all the family at once.

So Zayn’s kind of nervous, by the time Louis shows up with a bottle of wine. It looks cheap as anything, and Zayn loves him for it because it’s not him being tight, it’s him being- respectful, in his way. This is a family barbecue, with questionable meat and charred vegetables, there’s no room for a hundred pound-worth wine. Especially not with all his aunt’s and uncle’s there, who would probably feel a bit awkward about it.

He gives Louis a half hug, lets him hang up his jacket before leaning in and whispering theatrically “just- stay safe.”

Louis laughs, but he squeezes Zayn’s shoulder anyway, as if he knew Zayn was only half joking. It’s just a lot to take in, sometimes, all the Maliks under one roof, and he doesn’t want Louis to feel weird. Then again, he’s had some weird nights at the Tomlinson’s himself, so Louis probably isn’t in the best position to judge someone based on extended family.

Luckily, there aren’t any extended family there, yet, just his sisters and parents who he roped in to helping him set up. Louis joins him in the kitchen, but eventually is kicked out by Trisha because all he does is pick at the food.

 He’s reallocated himself to setting up the barbecue with Zayn’s dad- “manly stuff,” he had said proudly. Louis has a weird inside joke with Yaser (except Yaser never takes part, so really it’s an inside joke with himself) about how manly they both are, how macho, and it’s kind of pretty hilarious because Louis is like, half his size, but Zayn never points that out. He actually kind of likes it, because it makes Yaser and Trisha laugh, and he likes that Louis is involved with his family like that. It’s an affection he doesn’t mind expressing to Louis, because Louis feels it too, about Zayn with his family. Zayn remembers when Louis had walked in, years ago now, on Zayn plaiting Daisy’s hair, how happy he’d been, and as soon as they’d been alone he’d lent in and told Zayn, “I love you, you know,” and it was hardly the first time they’ve said it, but each time felt like it had a new meaning, and this was the first time he can remember it meaning, “I love that you’re part of my life.”

He’s staring, by now, he knows, at the way Louis is bent slightly at the knees as he tries to get the light at the bottom of the barbecue. He also knows he’s being stared at, by Doniya, who’s the only other person in the kitchen.

“Something interesting happening?” she asks. Zayn pauses before turning to face her, making sure to get rid of his fond smile. He shrugs, leans up against the counter.

“Not really. Just thinking.”

“Right.”

He smiles at her, bright and fake, before pulling at her hair. She gasps in indignation, before he turns back to the slices of chicken he’s trying to take out of their packaging, but it’s frozen so he’s essentially hacking at it with a very ineffectual pair of scissors.

It’s not going to be let go, though, because then she’s scooting closer to him.

“So, why’d you invite him?”

Zayn shrugs. “Hadn’t seen him in a while.”

“You saw him two days ago.”

“Yeah but he’s going to Donny for a while, so, you know.”

“Where’s Perrie?”

Zayn turns to her, eyebrows raised. He doesn’t see where that came from. “Manchester. She and the girls are performing tonight. They’re still touring. You know that.”

“And what about Eleanor? Where’s she?”

“Do you have something to say?” he asks, because he kind of knows what’s happening here but he really hopes he’s wrong.

“Do you?”

He smiles slightly. “Nothing at all.”

“So you don’t think it’s weird, how close you are,” she asks, eyebrow raised in a way _Zayn_ had taught her, thank you very much.

“Never said that, but it’s like- good weird, yeah? Like, winning the lottery. You’re not just gonna give the money back because it’s out of the ordinary.” Suddenly, Zayn realises, shit, maybe he shouldn’t compare their friendship to winning the lotto, definitely not in front of someone who already had suspicions about his feelings. But, well.

He’s always been pretty shameless when it comes to Louis. And it’s never made him feel awkward, when people question it. It makes him feel a bit special, really. He likes that their friendship stands out. He likes that Louis has jokes with his dad, and gossips with his sisters. He likes it, and he likes that when he asked Louis to help him set up for a family barbecue Louis just shrugged and said “of course,” and he likes the way beneath the nonchalance he could tell that Louis liked it too. And maybe they’re a bit more… domesticated than most friends, but Zayn doesn’t mind that. He likes that Louis knew what kind of wine to bring.

His sister doesn’t say anything more. He goes back to opening the chicken.

~

It’s an hour later, with most things on the way to ready, that the doorbell rings for the first time. Zayn’s hands are full, bringing some beer out to the deck, but he hears a rushed call of “I’ll get it!” coming from the dining room and sees through the window Louis rushing to the front door. He’s made himself at home with people he hasn’t even met yet, and Zayn _loves_ him.

~

They all love him, in the end, because how could they not, especially when they’re related to Zayn. He hadn’t even realised he was nervous until he saw Louis chatting to his nan about god knows what, and he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

Throughout the evening, Louis skitters about, from one relative to another, probably getting more socialising done than Zayn himself. Zayn finds himself wondering how Louis introduces himself, as a friend, a bandmate, and he wonders if all his cousins and aunts and uncles believe him- or if in their head thinking that it must be something more, to be bringing a "friend" to a family event like this. He likes the thought more than he should.

They don't get much chance to talk, but Louis' staying over, so they can talk then. Zayn still makes sure to check in with him, though, every now and again. He's always waved off, brusquely, but he can tell Louis appreciates it so he doesn't stop.

There are times when he doesn't need to check in with Louis, because Louis checks in with Zayn. Sometimes it’s just to ask him where there’s more beer, or if he needs help manning the stove, but other times it’s just to stand by him, take a break, and those are the times Zayn loves most of all. When whirlwind Louis comes to a rest, lets his warmth seep into Zayn as he leans against him, smiling softly, taking a sip from his can of beer or a bite from the over-done kebab.

It makes him imagine a future of these, when Louis isn’t introducing himself to family but introducing himself _as_ family, part of it, part of the barbecues and the gossip and _all_ of it. Part of every inch of Zayn’s life.

~

The idea seeps into the rest of Zayn’s night, the warm hope that this could be a beginning, and sometimes he found himself asking Louis for help with carrying more deck chairs out, or checking on the cake in the fridge, just so he could see the way Louis would jump to it, no questions asked, like it’s what he was supposed to be doing in the first place, and it’d never fail to make Zayn smile.

~

He’s still smiling when most everyone has left, eleven at night, and he’s watching the dishes in the kitchen with his mother. He’s watching Louis out the window, again, as he disassembles the cooker on deck, and again, he knows that someone’s watching him.

“He did well today, didn’t he?” Trisha says. “Think he won ‘em all over, somehow.”

 _Louis could win anyone over,_ Zayn thinks, but manages to keep it to himself. “Yeah, it’s great, he’s great,” he says instead, and really, that’s not much better.

“Does he know?” she asks, then. “How you feel, I mean.”

Zayn glimpses at her, raised eyebrows, before turning back to the window. “Don’t worry about it,” he says, because there’s no point denying it.

“I’m your mother.”

“Still, though. I trust him, yeah?”

 She sighs, and briefly, he feels her hand on the small of his back. “Oh, honey, you know I love Louis, but I- I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Zayn keeps focusing out the window, scrubbing over a plate that’s definitely clean by now.

Louis turns around, like he knows Zayn’s been watching him- which wouldn’t be unlikely- and he gives a small smile, small wave, just to let Zayn know _he_ knows he’s there. He doesn’t think he will get hurt, not by Louis. And if he does, it’ll be a minor thing, and they’ll make it better. It’s going to end up alright, even if there are obstacles in the way. Zayn is cynical enough that he trusts himself to know what to believe in, and he believes in Louis.

And Zayn, just- he turns to his mother with a smile, the same he’s been wearing all night. Because he knows they’re going to be fine.


End file.
